.ib.De  Soto  Expedition  Th  Flor 

by 

Lewis. 


Pepper  Collection 


Til] 


VOL.  XXII.          NOVEMBER  AND  DECEMBER,  1900.  No.  6. 

THE  DE   SOTO    EXPEDITION  -^THROUGH   FLORIDA. 

BY    T?Hff 


[PREFATORY  NOTE.  —  There  have  been  three  accounts  of  this  expedi 
tion  published  in  the  English  language,  and  there  yet  remains,  in  the  original 
Spanish,  another,  of  which  John  G.  Shea  writes: 

"Still  another  account  of  the  expedition  is  the  official  report  which 
Rodrigo  Ranjel,  the  secretary  of  Soto,  based  upon  his  diary  kept  on  the 
march.  It  was  written  after  reaching  Mexico,  whence  he  transmitted  it  to 
the  Spanish  government.  It  remained  unpublished  in  that  part  ot  Oviedo's 
History  which  was  preserved  in  manuscript  till  Amador  de  los  Rios  issued 
his  edition  of  Oviedo  in  1851.  Oviedo  seems  to  have  begun  to  give  the  text 
of  Ranjel  as  he  found  it;  but  later  in  the  progress  of  the  story  he  abridged 
it  greatly,  and  two  chapters  at  least  are  missing,  which  must  have  given  the 
wanderings  of  Soto  from  Autiamque,  with  his  death,  and  the  adventures  of 
the  survivors  under  Moscoso.  The  original  text  of  Ranjel  is  not  known."] 


following  is  an  abridged  translation,  giving  the  ethnol- 
ogy,  topography,  and  itinerary  of  the  narrative: 

Sunday,  May  iSth,  1539,  De  Soto  and  his  army  left  Havana 
with  a  fine  fleet  of  nine  ships,  —  five  full  rigged,  two  caravels, 
and  two  vergantines.  On  the  2^th  day  of  the  same  month, 
which  was  the  day  of  Pasque  ot  the  Espiritu  Sancto,  they  came 
in  sight  of  land  on  the  northern  coast  of  the  province  of 
Florida,  and  the  fleet  came  to  anchor,  two  leagues  from  land, 
in  four  fathoms  depth,  or  less.  The  governor,  with  Anasco, 
and  the  principal  pilot,  Alonso  Martin,  departed  in  a  vergantine 
in  order  to  find  out  what  land  it  was;  being  in  doubt  as  to  the 
location  and  identity  of  the  port.  Not  being  able  to  satisfy 
themselves  on  the  matter,  and  seeing  night  was  approaching, 
they  desired  to  return  to  the  ships;  but  the  contrary  winds  pre 
vented  them.  They,  therefore,  anchored  close  to  land,  leaped 
upon  it,  and  discovered  signs  of  many  Indians;  also  a  large 
building  and  some  smaller  ones.  They  afterwards  learned  that 
it  was  Ocita.  The  port1  was  now,  examined,  and  the  governor 
ordered  the  vergantine  and  the  caravel  to  lie  opposite  each 
other  in  the  channel  as  signals,  so  the  other  ships  could  pass 


352  THE  AMERICAN  ANTIQUARIAN 

between.  The  latter,  which  were  tour  or  five  leagues  off,  began 
to"  set  sail,  and  it  was  necessary  for  the  governor  to  show  them 
the  way,  as  the  chief  pilot  was  in  the  vergantine,  and  because 
there  were  many  inlets;  and  yet  with  all  that  two  ships  touched 
bottom,  but  as  it  was  sandy  they  received  no  damage.  The 
ships  entered  the  port,  sounding  line  in  hand,  and  some  touched 
bottom,  and,  as  it  was  mud,  passed  on  ahead.  Thus  they  went 
on  for  five  days  without  landing,  except  that  some  of  the  force 
scrambled  to  land  to  get  water  and  grass  for  the  horses.  But 
the  bays  did  not  cease  until  the  loaded  ships  arrived  at  where 
the  town2  stood,  and  they  anchored  four  leagues  beyond.  And 
it  came  to  pass  it  was  on  May  3<Dth  that  they  began  to  land  the 
horses.  The  country  where  they  landed  is  ten  leagues  to  the 
west  of  the  bay  of  Johan  Ponce,  and  the  cacique  or  lord  of  it 
is  called  O^ita.  Sunday,  June  1st,  of  the  same  year,  the  army 
journeyed  inward  by  land  towards  the  town.  Having  trouble  with 
the  interpreters,  the  governor  went  ahead  with  some  cavalry. 
They  went  twelve  leagues  to  opposite  the  town,  "having  the 
bay  between,  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  not  double  it."  Dur 
ing  the  week  the  ships  proceeded  to  the  town,  and  little  by  little, 
were  unloaded  by  means  of  boats  of  all  the  goods  and  provi 
sions  they  contained.  Tuesday,  June  3rd,  the  governor  took 
possession  of  the  country.  The  next  day  he  sent  Gallegos  to 
look  for  some  people,  town,  or  house  in  the  direction  of  the 
setting  sun,  and  on  this  occasion  they  met  Juan  Ortiz.  On 
Friday,  June  2Oth,  Gallegos  was  sent  to  Orriparagi  with  80 
cavalry  and  100  footmen.  And  he  also  sent  on  the  same  day 
Anasco  in  the  ships'  boats  by  the  seacoast,  with  a  number  of 
footmen,  to  disperse,  if  necessary,  a  rumored  assembly  of 
Indians,  and  with  whom  upon  their  arrival  they  had  a  skirmish 
on  an  island. 

The  army  left  the  town  and  port  of  Spiritu  Sancto  Tuesday, 
July  1 5th,  1539,  and  slept  the  same  day  at  the  river  of  Mococo, 
and  built  two  bridges  to  cross  the  river.  The  next  day  they 
came  to  the  Laguna  of  Conejo,  which  they  called  from  a  rab 
bit  that  had  started  up  in  the  camp  and  stampeded  their 
horses.  After  recovering  their  horses,  they  reached  on  the 
next  day  the  Lake  of  San  Johan,  and  the  next  day,  under  a 
scorching  sun,  came  to  a  savanna.  On  the  next  day  they  came 
to  the  cabin  of  Guagoco,  where  they  got  some  green  corn. 
The  next  day,  early,  they  came  to  Luca,  a  pretty  good  town, 
and  here  Gallegos'  forces  came  up,  and  the  governor  sent  a 
messenger  to  Urriparacoxi;  but  no  reply  came.  On  Wednes 
day,  July  23rd,  the  governor  and  army  left,  and  came  to  Vicela, 
and  went  to  sleep  beyond.  On  Wednesday  they  slept  at 
another  pueblo,  called  Tpcaste,3  which  was  on  an  island  in  a 
great  lake.  The  same  day  the  governor,  with  26  cavalry,  went 
ahead  on  the  road  to  Ocale,  and  ordered  30  cavalry  to  follow, 
and  sent  Ranjel  back  for  them.  The  next  day,  Friday,  the  camp 
was  moved  on  the  track  of  the  governor,  but  word  was  received 
to  turn  back  to  the  camp  again.  The  next  day,  Saturday,  the 


THE  DE  SOTO  EXPEDITION  THROUGH  FLORIDA.        353 

governor  found  the  roads  broader,  and  a  good  lay  of  the  land, 
and  sent  word  for  the  army  to  move  up  in  his  rear,  and  for  39 
more  cavalry,  who  were  sent  under  Tovar,  as  ordered.  The 
governor,  with  his  26  cavalry,  arrived  on  the  day  of  Sancta  Ana 
(July  26)  at  the  river  or  marsh  of  Cale,4  which  was  broad  and 
had  a  swift  current,  and  crossed  it  with  much  difficulty.  Nuno 
de  Tovar  and  his  30  cavalry  crossed  it  the  following  Sunday; 
the  governor  and  his  people  having  arrived  at  the  first  town  in 
the  province  of  Ocale,  which  was  called  Uqueten,  and  they  had 
not  arrived  in  a  bad  time,  because  they  found  an  abundance  of 
provisions,  and  sent  some  back  to  those  behind  at  the  swamp. 
The  following  Tuesday  all  the  rest  of  the  army  came  up  to 
where  the  governor  was,  and  they  all  went  to  Ocale,  a  town 
with  a  good  supply  of  maize;  then  for  subsistence  to  Acuera.  5 

On  August  nth  the  governor  left  Ocale,  with  50  cavalry 
and  100  footmen,  to  hunt  for  Apalache,  which  was  said  to  be 
very  populous.  Moscoso  remained  behind  with  the  rest,  to 
see  how  the  advance  force  would  succeed.  They  arrived  that 
day  at  Itaraholata,  a  good  town  with  plenty  of  maize.  The 
next  day  they  came  to  Potano,  and  the  next  day,  Wednesday, 
to  Utinamo-chara,  and  then  to  the  town  of  Mala  Paz  (ill  place), 
so  named  by  them.  The  next  day  they  came  to  a  pretty  good 
town,6  where  there  were  plenty  of  provisions.  Then  they  came 
to  a  river  they  called  Rio  de  las  Discordias  (river  of  the  dis 
putes),  and  the  next  day  made  a  pine  bridge,  as  many  trees 
grew  there,  and  the  day  after,  Sunday,  crossed  the  river  with 
as  much  or  more  trouble  than  that  of  Ocale.  On  the  next  day, 
Monday,  they  arrived  at  Aguacaleyquen.?  On  August  22nd 
they  met  many  Indians  and  a  well-provisioned  country,  so  the 
governor  sent  word  to  Moscoso  to  bring  up  the  army  from 
Ocale;  and  it  arrived  on  September  4th.  On  September  pth 
they  left  Aguacaleyquen  and  made  a  pine  bridge  with  which  to 
cross  the  river  of  Aguacaleyquen,  and  slept  at  a  small  town. 
On  the  next  day,  Friday  (sic),  they  came  to  Uriutina,8  a  large 
town  of  cheerful  appearance  and  well  provisioned.  There 
was  in  the  center  of  it  a  great  lodge,  in  the  center  of  which  was 
a  large  court.  On  Friday,  September  I2th,  they  arrived  at  a 
town  which  they  called  Muchas  Aguas,  because  it  rained  so  that 
they  could  not  stir  out  on  Saturday  or  Sunday,  and  were  only 
able  to  leave  the  following  Monday,  the  I5th.  After  leaving 
Aguacaleyquen  a  messenger  came  from  Ucachile.  They  left 
Muchas  Aguas,  Monday,  the  1 5th,  and  came  across  a  bad  swamp, 
and  all  the  roads  were  very  bad;  and  they  slept  at  Napituca,  9 
which  was  a  cheerful  town,  on  a  pleasant  site,  and  well  pro 
visioned.  (Next  comes  the  battle  by  the  savanna  and  the  two 
lakes.) 

Tuesday,  September  23rd,  they  left  Napituca,  and  arrived 
at  the  Rio  de  los  Venados  (deer  river),  so  called  by  them.  To 
cross  it  they  made  a  bridge  of  three  great  pines  in  length,  and 
four  in  breadth,  and  crossed  on  the  25th.  The  same  day  they 
passed  two  small  towns  and  one  very  big  one  called  Apalu,  and 


354  THE  AMERICAN  ANTIQUARIAN. 

arrived  to  sleep  at  Ucachile.  They  left  there  the  following 
.Monday,  the  29th,  and,  having  passed  through  a  great  forest, 
slept  in  a  pine  grove.  The  next  day,  Tuesday,  September  30th, 
they  came  to  Agile,  subject  to  Apalache.  Wednesday,  October 
1st,  they  left  there,  and  came  to  the  swamp  or  river  of  Ivitachuco, 
and  made  a  bridge,  and  finished  crossing  over  it  on  the  follow 
ing  Friday  at  noon,  and  slept  at  Ivitachuco,  which  they  found 
on  fire.  Sunday,  October  5th,  they  came  to  Calahuchi,I0and  on 
the  next  day  to  Iviahica.11  It  was  eight  leagues  to  the  place 
where  Narvaez  had  embarked.12  The  province  of  Apalache  is 
very  fertile  and  abounds  in  supplies, — maize,  French  beans, 
pumpkins,  divers  fruits,  plenty  of  deer,  a  great  variety  of  birds, 
and  near  the  sea  there  are  plenty  of  good  fish.  This  is  a  fine 
country  in  spite  ot  its  swamps,  which,  however,  are  hard  be 
cause  they  lie  over  sand. 

The  departure  from  Iviahica,  to  go  to  Capachequi,  took 
place  Wednesday,  March  3rd,  1540,  and  they  camped  at  the 
river  of  Guacuca,^  and  from  thence  to  the  river  of  Capachequi,^ 
which  they  reached  early  next  Friday.  They  made  a  pirogue 
to  cross  it,  using  chains.  On  Wednesday,  March  gth  (sic),  they 
had  all  crossed  over,  and  set  out,  and  slept  in  a  pine  grove  that 
night.  The  next  day,  Thursday,  they  reached  the  first  town  in 
the  province  of  Capachequi,  which  was  well  supplied  with  food, 
and  had  many  groves  around  it.  There  was  another  town  be 
yond  it.  They  struck  a  bad  swamp  close  to  the  town,  with  a 
strong  current,  and  before  reaching  it  they  had  to  pass  through 
a  great  stretch  of  water,  the  men  clinging  to  the  girths  and 
pummels  of  the  saddles;  but  they  could  not  succeed  that  day 
in  getting  all  the  force  over.  On  March  I7th  they  left  Ca 
pachequi,  and  slept  at  the  Fuente  Blanca  (white  fountain).1* 
This  is  a  very  handsome  spring,  and  has  a  very  copious  flow  of 
good  water,  with  fish  in  it.  The  following  day  they  slept  at  the 
river  of  Toa.16  They  twice  made  a  bridge  of  pines,  but  the 
strong  current  carried  them  away,  and  they  made  another  one 
in  a  peculiar  form  which  Nuno  de  Tova  advised.  It  served  the 
purpose  well,  and  the  whole  camp  had  crossed  over  by  Mon 
day,  and  they  went  and  slept  in  a  pine  grove,  though  badly 
scattered  and  disorganized.  On  Tuesday,  early,  they  arrived 
at  Toa,  a  large  town.  Wednesday  night  of  the  23rd  and  24th 
the  governor  left  Toa  secretly,  and  travelled  all  the  next  day 
till  nighttime,  when  they  reached  a  bad  crossing  of  deep  water; 
but,  notwithstanding  it  was  night,  they  got  safely  over,  having 
travelled  that  day  twelve  leagues  from  Toa.  Next  day,  which 
was  Holy  Thursday  (the  26th)  of  the  supper,  in  the  morning, 
they  reached  the  territory  of  Chisi,  and  crossed  the  arm1?  of  a 
very  broad  and  great  river  safely  on  foot,  and  quite  a  part  by 
swimming,  and  came  to  a  town  which  was  situated  on  an  island 
of  the  river,  where  they  found  people  and  got  something  to  eat. 
They  proceeded  to  other  towns  and  had  a  bad  time  crossing  a 
swamp  of  running  water,  where  one  of  their  men  fell  off  a 
beam  that  crossed  the  current,  and  was  drowned.  That  day 


THE  DE  SOTO  EXPEDITION  THROUGH  FLORIDA.        355 

they  arrived  at  a  town  when  there  came  leading  men,  ambas 
sadors  from  Ichisi.  On  Monday,  March  2gth,  they  left  there 
for  Ichisi.  It  rained  so  hard,  and  a  little  river  swelled  so  much, 
that,  if  they  had  not  crossed  in  a  hurry,  they  would  all  have 
been  lost.  That  day  they  came  to  a  town  of  a  cacique  subject 
to  Ichisi,  which  was  a  pretty  good  town  and  sufficiently  pro 
visioned.  They  rested  there  Tuesday,  and  on  Wednesday,  the 
last  of  March,  the  governor  and  his  army  came  to  the  Rio 
Grande,18  where  they  found  many  canoes,  in  which  they  crossed 
the  river,  and  arrived  at  the  town  of  the  lord  that  was  one-eyed, 
who  supplied  their  wants.  They  stayed  here  Thursday,  April 
ist,  and  set  up  a  cross  on  a  hill  of  the  town,  anc  sermonized  the 
natives.  On  Friday,  April  2nd,  they  left,  and  slept  in  a  field; 
and  the  next  day -they  came  to  a  nice  river,  where  they  found 
deserted  cabins,  and  here  messengers  arrived  from  Altamaha, 
who  took  them  to  a  town  where  they  found  plenty  to  eat.  The 
next  day  they  crossed  the  river  easily  in  canoes.  The  cacique 
Camumo  sent  word  that  he  was  continually  under  arms,  as  it 
was  the  frontier  of  another  cacique  called  Cofitachequi,  his 
enemy,  and  he  could  not  come  without  his  arms.  This  Camumo 
and  the  others  were  subjects  of  a  great  cacique  called  Ocute. 
Then  word  was  sent  to  Ocute,  who  came  there  to  see  De  Soto. 
The  governor  placed  a  cross  in  Altamaha,  and  was  well 
received.  The  next  day,  Thursday,  April  8th,  the  governor 
and  his  army  left  there,  and  slept  at  some  huts;  and  the  next 
day,  Friday,  they  arrived  at  the  town  of  Ocute,  where  they  set 
up  another  cross.  Monday,  April  nth,  they  left  Ocute,  and 
came  to  Cofaqui.  Here  the  cacique  Tatofa  and  another  lead 
ing  man  came  to  see  them.  On  Thursday,  the  1 5th,  Perico,  the 
guide,  went  crazy,  so  Tatofa  gave  them  guides  to  go  to  Cofit 
achequi,  through  an  unpeopled  country  of  nine  or  ten  days' 
travel.  On  Friday,  the  i6th,  they  slept  at  a  small  river  road  in 
Cofitachiqui,  and  the  next  day  they  crossed  a  very  great  river, 
which  was  divided  into  two  arms,  but  broader  than  an  arquebus 
shot,  had  many  bad  fords,  and  a  very  strong  current,  so  that  no 
cavalryman  dared  to  take  up  a  foot  soldier  behind  him.  They 
got  over,  and  slept  in  the  woods  beyond  it.  The  next  day, 
Sunday,  they  again  halted  in  the  woods,  and  the  next  day, 
Monday,  they  travelled  without  any  track,  and  crossed  another 
very  great  river,  and  on  Tuesday  slept  by  a  rivulet,  and  on 
Wednesday  they  came  to  another  very  great  river,^  which  was 
divided  into  two  arms,  difficult  to  enter  and  worse  to  get  out. 
They  crossed  this  river  with  very  much  trouble,  and  arrived  at 
some  camping  places  of  fishermen  or  hunters.  In  perplexity 
as  to  their  best  way  now,  on  Friday,  April  23rd,  the  governor 
sent  out  to  search  for  roads  or  towns  in  this  way:  Gallegos  was 
sent  along  the  river  in  the  direction  of  the  northwest;  Anasco 
along  the  river  to  the  southeast.  Each  party  took  with  them 
ten  horses  and  ten  days'  provisions.  On  Saturday  he  sent 
Lobillo,  with  four  horses,  to  the  north,  wij:h  rations,  also,  for 
ter  lays.  On  Sunday,  April  25th,  Anasco  came  and  said  he 


356  THE  AMERICAN  ANTIQUARIAN. 

had  found  a  town  and  provisions.  Having  left  written  instruc 
tions,  on  Monday,  April  26th,  they  all  left  for  the  ford  and  pro 
visions  that  Anasco  reported  he  had  found.  On  the  same  day 
the  governor,  with  a  few  cavalry,  arrived  at  the  town,  which 
was  called  Hymahi,  and  the  army  stayed  two  leagues  behind; 
the  horses  being  worn  out.  On  the  next  day  the  main  body 
came  up.  On  account  of  all  the  good  things  they  found  there 
they  called  this  town  Socorro.  On  the  next  day  Captain  Romo 
came  in  and  brought  some  natives,  but  no  other  news.  On  the 
next  day,  Wednesday,  Gallegos  came  with  some  more  natives. 
On  the  next  day  Lobillo  returned  with  news  of  roads.  On  Fri 
day,  the  last  of  April,  the  governor,  with  some  of  the  best 
rested  horses  and  the  Indian  woman  guide  GaUegos  had  brought, 
set  out  for  Cofitachequi,20  and  slept  near  a  wide  and  deep  river. 
He  sent  Anasco  to  hunt  canoes  and  interpreters  to  cross  with; 
and  the  next  day  the  governor  came  to  the  passage  opposite 
the  town  where  the  lady  caciqua  lived,  and  they  crossed  over 
in  the  canoes.  Monday,  May  3rd,  all  the  rest  of  the  force  came 
up,  and  part  crossed  over  that  day,  and  finished  the  next  day, — 
Tuesday. 


NOTES    ON    THE    ITINERARY. 

1  The  landing  place  is  generally  accepted  as  being  at  Tampa  Bav,  but 
the  depth  and  numerous  inlets  as  described  do  not  conform  thereto.    Ponce 
de  Leon  Bay  is  now  believed  to  have  been  in  Monroe  county,  on  the  west 
side  ot  the  southern  point  of  Florida,  and  "  ten  leagues  west  "  (really  north) 
would  make  the  location  among  the  Thousand  Islands.     Probably  the  real 
location  was  Charlotte  Harbor;  they  having  entered  it  from  the  south  end  of 
San  Carlos  Bay.     Miakka  river  (Macaco  on  the  old  maps)  enters  the  north 
west  arm  of  the  harbor,  and  is  probably  the  river  of  Mococo.     It  will  also 
be  noted  that  twenty  or  twenty-five  leagues  of   swamps  and  rivers  were 
traversed  before  reaching  the  higher  country,  which  would  be  in  the  south 
ern  part  of  Polk  county. 

2  There  seem  to  have  been  two  towns  on  this  bay, — one  on  the  point 
near  the  sea,  and  the  other  some  four  leagues  above,  which  the  Inca  calls 
Hirrihigua.    The  caciques  in  this  vicinity,  and  not  named  in  the  other  nar 
ratives,  are  Neguarete,  Capaloey,  and  Orriygua. 

aTocaste  was  on  the  island  in  the  marsh  at  the  first  crossing  of  the 
"great  marsh,"  so  graphically  described  by  the  Inca. 

4  The  river  or  marsh  of  Cale  is  the  Inch's  second  crossing  of  the  great 
marsh. 

s  Evidently  only  a  minor  expedition  was  sent,  as  the  army  remained  at 
Ocale,  from  which  point  the  governor  advanced  towards  Apalache. 

6  This  was  Cholupaha,  according  to  the  Knight  of  Elvas. 

7Caliquen,  of  the  Elvas. 

8Ochile,  according  to  the  Inca. 

9  The  Inca  states  that  the  battle  of  Napituca  occurred  at  Vitachuco. 

'oThis  name  is  also  spelled  Calahuci,  and  is  the  town  of  Uzela,  of  the 
Elvas;  and  the  modern  name  may  be  Chattahooche. 

"The  Creek  tradition  is  that  the  camp  (or  town)  was  at  a  place  known 
to  them  as  "  Spanna  Wakka,"  which  was  near  Ochese,  on  the  Apalachicola 
river.  Their  name  for  De  Soto  was  "Tustanugga  Hutke,"  meaning  white 
warrior. 


THE  DE  SOTO  EXPEDITION  THROUGH  FLORIDA.        357 

12  The  bay  where  N"arvaez  built  his  brigantines  was  known  to  the 
Spaniards  as  Bahia  de  Caballos,  or  Horse  Bay,  from  the  remains  of  the 
horses  there  slaughtered  for  food.  The  modern  name  on  the  maps  is  Bay 
Ocklockonee.  According  to  Elvas  it  was  eight  leagues  from  Iviahica  (or 
Apalache)  to  Ochete,  the  Aute  of  the  Inca. 

J3  Probably  the  Ocklockonee  river. 

^This  was  probably  the  Flint  river. 

xs  Blue  Spring,  four  miles  south  of  Albany,  Dougherty  countv,  is  the 
only  one  in  southern  Georgia  that  corresponds  to  the  White  Fountain,  so 
far  as  I  can  learn. 

16  This  may  have  been  the  second  crossing^of  the  Flint  river,  for  it  is  a 
well-known  fact  that  different  parts  of  a  river  sometimes  have  different 
names  given  them  by  the  Indians. 

J7The  Ocmulgee  river,  the  Creek  name  for  which  is  "  Ochisi-hatchi." 
Biedma  says:  "  Here  we  found  a  river  that  had  a  course,  not  southerly,  like 
the  rest  we  had  passed,  but  eastwardly  to  the  sea." 

18  The  Rio  Grande  is  probably  the  Altamaha,  or  it  may  have  been  the 
Ocmulgee  or  the  Oconee,  near  the  junction  of  the  two  streams.  The  Elvas 
gives  the  former  name  as  Altamaca,  and  Biedma  and  the  Inca  as  Altapaha. 
According  to  the  Elvas  they  went  up  this  river. 

T9  Between  Altamaha  and  1  atofa  no  river  u  as  crossed,  but  after  leaving 
the  latter  place  they  crossed  three  great  rivers  and  stopped  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  last  one.  I  take  the  two  great  rivers  to  be  the  Cannouchee  and 
Ogeechee,  and  the  third  the  Savannah. 

20  Evidently  Cofitachequi  is  located  too  far  up  the  Savannah  river  by  the 
commentators,  although  it  could  be  placed  well  up,  provided  the  army 
turned  northward  afttr  crossing  the  Altamaha  (Rio  Grande),  and  then 
turned  eastward  from  the  Oconee.  It  is  also  doubtful  on  which  side  of  the 
river  the  town  was  on,  for,  if  they  crossed  at  Hymahi  (which  seems  evident 
from  the  wording  of  the  narrative),  it  would  have  been  on  the  eastern  side, 
otherwise  on  the  western  side.  The  Creek  tradition  is  that  the  Spaniards 
did  not  go  east  of  the  Oconee  river. 

[To  be  Continued.] 

St.  Paul,  Minx.,  September,  igoo. 


CIVILIZATION  AND  THE  ETHICAL  STANDARD. 

BY    CHARLES   W.    SUPER. 

WHEN  one  looks  upon  the  remains  of  ancient  civilization 
as  they  lie  scattered  over  the  plains  of  Mesopotamia,  or 
along  the  Nile,  and  tries  to  interpret  their  meaning,  he 
can  scarcely  prevent  his  mind  from  harboring  melancholy 
reflections.  No  wonder  that  Professor  Huxley  felt  constrained 
to  say,  "  I  know  no  study  which  is  so  unutterably  saddening  as 
the  evolution  of  humanity,  as  set  forth  in  the  annals  of  history. 
Out  of  the  darkness  of  prehistoric  ages  man  emerges  with  the 
marks  of  his  lowly  origin  upon  him.  He  is  a  brute,  only  more 
intelligent  than  other  brutes;  a  blind  prey  to  impulses,  which 
so  often  lead  him  to  destruction;  a  victim  to  endless  illusions 
which  make  his  mental  existence  a  terror  and  a  burden  and  fill 
his  physical  life  with  barren  toil  and  battle.  He  attains  a  cer 
tain  degree  of  comfort  and  develops  a  more  or  less  workable 
theory  of  life  in  such  favorable  situations  as  the  plains  of 
Mesopotamia,  or  of  Egypt,  and  then  for  thousands  of  years 
struggles  with  varying  fortunes,  attended  by  infinite  wicked 
ness,  bloodshed,  and  misery,  to  maintain  himself  at  this  point 
against  the  greed  and  ambition  of  his  fellow-men." 

Mephistophiles  in  Faust  is  less  compassionate,  and  adopts 
a  more  flippant  tone,  but  his  verdict  is  not  more  favorable: 

"  Better  he  might  have  fared,  poor  wight, 
Had'st  them  not  given  him  a  gleam  of  heavenly  light, 
Reason  he  names  it,  and  doth  so 
Use  it,  than  brutes  more  brutish  still  to  grow. 
With  deference  to  your  grace,  he  seems  to  me 
Like  any  long-  legged  grasshopper  to  be 
Which  ever  flies,  and  flying  springs, 
And  in  the  grass  its  ancient  ditty  sings. 
Would  he  but  always  in  the  grass  repose  ! 
In  every  heap  of  dung  he  thrusts  his  nose." 

In  striking  contrast  to  this  sentiment  are  the  words  of 
"What  a  piece  of  work  is  man!  how  noble  in 
reason  !  how  infinite  in  faculties!  in  form  and  moving,  how 
expressive  and  admirable!  in  action,  how  like  an  angel!  in 
apprehension,  how  like  a  god!  the  beauty  of  the  world!  the 
paragon  of  animals  !  " 

With  all  his  shortcomings;  in  spite  of  his  fearful  lapses 
from  a  standard  of  virtuous  living;  notwithstanding  his  flippant 
disregard  of  what  is  highest  and  holiest,  I  can  not  but  hold  man 
as  an  inherently  ethical  being.  In  this  he  differs  from  all  other 
creatures.  The  mere  fact  of  his  living  in  communities  does  not 
make  him  what  he  is  not  by  nature.  Communal  life  may 
strengthen  his  moral  qualities;  it  can  not  engender  them.  Of 
the  sub-animals,  many  exhibit  a  relatively  high  degree  of  intelli- 


